The coronavirus outbreak has been a pretext for government censorship and a crackdown on journalists, who have been exposed to new criminal charges as well as violent attacks. Among those targeted by official smear campaigns is Blaž Zgaga, a best-selling author from Slovenia. To keep tabs on the abuses linked to Covid-19, press freedom organization Reporters sans frontières has created a service called Tracker 19. Head of the organization’s Brussels office Julie Majerczak warns that the ongoing assault on free expression is a profound threat to public health that's already cost lives. Director of the Bulgarian service for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Ivan Bedrov observes that showy donations by China make it even more of a struggle to report on the significant role the European Union can play in fighting the virus. The episode also features a poem by Ben Ray, whose volumes include What I heard on the Last Cassette Player in the World. “Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125” by Papalin is licensed under CC by 3.0. "Magic Hour" by Three Chain Links is licensed under CC by 4.0. Wael Koudaih kindly contributed his track “Thawra” to this episode. You’ll find more of his music under the name Rayess Bek. Visit our website for episode art and for more EU Scream.

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